Wireframes & Prototypes

In the past, it was possible to have a team of anything up to 200 developers with only a token designer. Now, not only are there more designers but there are lots of different roles for designers. This is one reason why the recruitment of designers now requires more research. It also helps to explain the lack of designers and the difficulties that companies have in finding qualified and experienced professionals to join their design teams.

A Diverse Skillset

Working as a web designer calls for an extremely diverse skill set that extends far beyond knowing how to create a website. The most successful web designers out there are multi-talented, and having many strings to your bow will give you a competitive advantage whilst greatly improving your employability. Before opting for a career in web design, consider the following essential skills.

Being well-versed in HTML and CSS will not only afford you greater control over your projects but also positions you as more of a “complete package” to potential clients or employers. There are plenty of free online resources to help you to expand your knowledge, such as this introduction to HTML5 taken from the 1&1 digital guide. Equally, an exceptional webmaster feels just as comfortable writing powerful copy as they do writing code, and can skillfully combine the two to create first-rate websites.

UI designers are morphing into UX designers by changing their titles to UI/UX without ever really understanding what it means to be a UX professional. The first lesson should be that there is no such thing as a UX designer. There are UI designers and there are UX researchers. They are two different roles with two different sets of skills and any attempt to marry the two is a lack of maturity on behalf of the organisation.

UX Design refers to the term User Experience Design, while UI Design stands for User Interface Design. Both elements are crucial to a product and work closely together. But despite their professional relationship, the roles themselves are quite different, referring to very different parts of the process and the design discipline. Where UX Design is a more analytical and technical field, UI Design is closer to what we refer to as graphic design, though the responsibilities are somewhat more complex.
The creative and analytical process of determining what a website, device, or piece of software is going to be
Having the edge of both the technology and creativity that’s what makes a great UX designer.

“Design isn’t just about problem solving; it’s about creating a more humane future. – Dan Saffer, The End of Design as We Know it.